Summary: Begins with the missing scene from 1x19, just after LoVe's kiss, and before she breaks up with Leo. AU from there.
A/N: Thanks for all the awesome feed back. Thanks to my muses, lex and forcedmovement. . Italics are VMVO and feedback is muchly appreciated. Also, many lines of dialogue were double checked with the VM transcripts at www twiztv com.
"Beaver." Veronica said, getting the boy's attention. Logan trailed up behind her. "Damn, you don't look happy to see me."
"How's it going, Veronica?" Beaver asked her. "Logan." He greeted, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else at that moment.
"Really well!" Veronica exclaimed. "I just found out that the dream I had where I was locked all alone in a bedroom with you was reality. Care to share some details, lover?" She practically spat out.
"Nothing happened." Beaver replied, backing up...into Logan, who'd moved to stop the other boy's escape attempt.
"Actually, something did happen." Veronica insisted. "I may not remember the details, but I sure as hell remember the morning after." She hissed.
"Look, I swear to God I didn't touch you, Veronica." Beaver was visibly sweating now, what with Logan firmly gripping him by the shoulders. "Ok, I mean, Dick, he was all on me to, and there was, there was this girl this freshman, her name's Cindy and she's kind of well...easy, and you know, me and her, we were supposed to...I don't know, Dick, Dick he set something up, ok...and then...and then she was all over Logan and she left early with him." Beaver rambled on, stammering through out his explanation. Veronica raised her eyebrows in Logan's direction. He gave her a smirk and a shrug. She shook her head to clear that thought away, but it was replaced by one that was set on repeat in her brain.
Logan didn't rape me.
"Yeah, it sucks to be you." Veronica snapped. "And?"
"And Dick, he brought me to the guest room with you." Beaver continued. "I just wanted him to leave me alone." Beaver went on finishing up his tale. Logan clenched his jaw in anger, resisting the urge to strangle the "Beav" while he talked, but in the end nearly unable to smother his laughter. "It was my big night. I don't know, I was supposed to lose my virginity and I...hurl on Carrie Bishops shoes. Nothing happened. Really." Beaver insisted. "I swear on my life that the last time that I saw you, you were passed out on the bed." Veronica paused for a second and flashed him a hint of a false smile.
"Well, hey." Veronica said. "Thanks for leaving me there." She ground out, punching Beaver roughly on the arm. Logan released the boy, and followed the angry blonde stomping down the hall.
"So now that we've established that my father won't be winning that coveted 'Father of the Year' award, is there any particular reason you wanted me to take you out for coffee?" Logan asked, holding a chair for Veronica to sit in.
"I'm addicted to the stuff?" Veronica replied, making it sound more like a question than a statement. He gave her a look. "I needed to talk to Carrie Bishop somewhere she couldn't run from me."
"And why would she do that?" Logan wanted to know.
"You did hear about Mr. Rooks, didn't you?" Veronica said. Logan seemed to understand. "She's...I'm not her favorite person even though that case ended as well as possible."
"In that case, maybe you should order." Logan nodded towards the counter, where Carrie was standing. Veronica got up and walked over to her slowly.
"What can I get for you?" Carrie asked.
"Well, I'll have two hot chocolates, a crème brulee, and some answers if you can give me about two minutes." Veronica replied. Logan stared, unable to hear the conversation.
"I'm kind of in the weeds." Carrie told her, clearly unwilling to have a conversation with her.
"Here's the thing." Veronica spoke hurriedly. "Do you remember Shelly party last year?"
"Yeah." Carried answered.
"I don't." Veronica was frank. "At least, not between passing out in the back yard and waking up the next morning in the guest room. I think you probably saw me."
"I saw you." Carrie said evenly, slowly telling Veronica what exactly she'd seen that night.
"Are you sure?" Veronica asked in a little voice. Carrie gave her a glare and walked away from the counter. Veronica was frozen to the spot.
Duncan.
"Hey, what'd she say?" Logan asked, walking up behind her. She jumped.
"Nothing." Veronica's voice sounded hollow.
"You're not acting like it's nothing." Logan accused.
"Let's just go, Logan." She said, heading for the door.
"Why won't you tell me?" Logan demanded as they walked out to his SUV.
"It's not important." Veronica had gone numb, and Logan's voice had turned into a buzzing in her ear. She couldn't hear what he was saying over Carrie Bishop's voice in her head.
Duncan.
"Veronica!" Logan called as she walked a head of him. "Veronica, will you just tell me?" He pleaded. She turned to gaze at him with blank eyes.
"I have to get home." She told him. "There's something I forgot to do." Logan sighed in frustration and anger, getting in his SUV and slamming the door. Veronica moved like she was underwater, not really paying attention to the way he was acting. He squealed the tires as they pulled out of the parking lot.
Veronica gripped the steering wheel of her car so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She bit her lip...but the sob she'd been holding in finally erupted, and she felt her chest heave with the force of her tears. She didn't see Wallace step out of his house and walk across the lawn towards her.
"I was about to call the police on you, stalker." Wallace teased with a grin, coming to a stop next to her passenger door. One look at her face and his grin fell, replaced by a more serious one. "Hey." He said softly, finally getting her attention. She turned to look at him. "Hey." He said again, coming around to side of the car and opening the door. "Let's get you inside." She didn't reply, just continued crying. He pried her shaking hands of the steering wheel, and slipped and arm around her to help her out of the car. Slamming her door shut, he walked her slowly up the lawn and in through the front door of his house.
"Wallace, what..." Alicia trailed off when she saw the state Veronica was in. She wordlessly let them pass, Wallace walking her into his room and shutting the door.
Wallace handed her the box of tissues he kept on his nightstand. Veronica blew he nose for what felt like the millionth time, but felt a little more human for it.
"You think you can tell me what happened?" He asked gently. She swallowed heavily.
"It's a mess, Wallace." She managed.
"I'm not going anywhere." He reminded her, sitting down so that he was next to her on the bed. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"Last year, I went to a party at Shelly Pomroy's house." Veronica started. "It was just after Lilly died, and I don't know, I wanted to prove something to my friends who'd turned their backs on me."
"Ok, so you were at this party?" Wallace nudged her to keep talking.
"I was handed a drink by someone, at the time I didn't know who, and it was laced with GHB." Veronica went on. "Do you know what that is?"
"I've heard of it." Wallace replied.
"I passed out...and woke up the next morning alone in the guest room." Veronica's voice shook. Wallace's expression said that he had a feeling he knew where this was going and he didn't like it. "Someone raped me, Wallace." She choked out, tears falling again. She wiped them away frantically, and continued before he could talk. "At least, that's what I thought." She looked at his face. "You wanted to know why Logan and I broke up, right?" He managed a nod. "I found out he brought GHB to the party."
"What?" Wallace snapped, angry now. "I knew he was up to no good, V, I just knew it." Veronica held up a hand to stop his tirade.
"It wasn't him." She said softly. "He left with some freshman named Cindy."
"So you're crying your eyes out because Logan was innocent?" Wallace was confused.
"I found out what happened." Veronica replied slowly. "I got a drugged glass...and I ended up with...Duncan."
"Duncan?" Wallace echoed. Veronica nodded woodenly.
"I just came from his house." She told him. "He didn't deny it...but...but he said that it wasn't rape." Her chest was heaving.
"If it wasn't rape, then why did he leave you alone?" Wallace was whispering now.
"Oh, God, It's complicated." Veronica moaned.
"Try me." Wallace was determined to hear it all.
"He...Duncan and I...our parents..." She stumbled her words. "My mom had an affair with his dad...and there's the possibility that we're related. It's why he broke up with me." She was whispering now too. They were silent for a while, Veronica giving an occasional sniffle. "This is so not an 'I told you so', but do you see why I kinda keep things to myself?" Veronica finally spoke up. "I think I can go home now."
"Maybe you should just stay here." Wallace suggested with a look of concern.
"No, I feel better." She insisted. "Of course, you feel worse."
"No, I don't care about me." Wallace replied. "I just wish I could do something...say something."
"You don't have to say anything." Veronica told him. "That's kinda the good part." She leaned up and grabbed her laptop out of her bag at the end of the bed. "You say I never tell you anything when I ask for favors?"
"Yeah." He agreed. "You so don't need to worry about that right now."
"I'm not worried." She gave him a small smile. "Here's everything you need to know." She opened her laptop and handed it to him, the Lilly Kane Murder Investigation screen up. He gave her a smile, and moved to click on the first folder.
Veronica sat sideways on her couch, facing Logan, who was sitting the same way.
"I'm so sorry." She said. "I know now it wasn't you, and I'm sorry I accused you." Veronica apologized.
"It's fine." Logan replied. "I gave you every reason to suspect me...I wasn't exactly nice to you last year."
"That doesn't excuse.." She started to say.
"Maybe not, but I'm sorry too." Logan told her. "If I'd been nicer or hadn't been stupid enough to buy GHB...none of this would have happened." He paused. "Are you okay?" His concern was apparent.
"It's not fine." Veronica insisted. "I'm really sorry."
"Veronica, all I care about is you." Logan brushed off her apology again. "I love you." She stared up at him in shock. He placed a kiss the hand that he was holding, clearly enjoying his power to make her speechless. "Did you find anything else out?"
"Yeah." She managed to find her voice.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked. "I get the feeling you didn't like what Carrie Bishop told you last night."
"What was your first clue?" Veronica replied wryly. "I'm sorry about that."
"Stop apologizing." He commanded. "Do you want to tell me about it? I mean, you don't have, you don't have to tell me anything." Logan told her. "I'm just here for whatever you need, okay?" She nodded.
"I was drugged, but I wasn't..." She trailed off, unable to say the word 'rape'.
"Yeah." Logan said.
"I was with Duncan." She informed him quietly. He looked stricken. "What, what is it?" Veronica asked.
"You were with Duncan that night?" Logan repeated.
"Apparently we ended up in the guest room together, and he was..wasted, and I was out of it...and our feelings and nature..." She trailed off again.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"It's ok." She replied. "I'm just glad you're here." She put a hand on his face. He nearly jumped off the couch at her touch.
"What's wrong?" She wanted to know. "Did I do something?"
"God no, Veronica." Logan swallowed heavily. "I did."
"The night of Shelly's party, I.." He began.
"I know about the salt lick, Logan." She told him. He sighed. "I won't say it's ok, because it's not...but there were much worse things done to me that night...and.."
"There's more." Logan cut in. She stopped and stared at him. "I drugged Duncan."
"What?" Veronica nearly snapped.
"I put some GHB in his drink." Logan replied. "I just wanted Duncan to have some fun. He'd barely even smiled since Lilly..."
"You didn't know what would happen." Veronica said, getting her bearings.
"I'm the one who was responsible for what happened to you." He insisted. "And I can't take that I hurt you like that when all I want to do is protect you."
"It's not your fault, Logan." He gave her a look and she sighed. "Not totally then. It's my fault for drinking something when I didn't know who handed it to me or what was in it. It's the fault of whoever drugged me. It's Dick's, Sean's and Beaver's fault for taking me to the guest room and leaving me there. Even Meg and Carrie could take some blame...and of course, Duncan. There was no way he was as drugged as I was."
He was staring at her.
"What?" He just shook his head and placed a kiss on her mouth.
"I just want you to trust me." Logan replied.
"I do." She kissed him again. They were quiet for a moment.
"Where's your dad?" He asked.
"Vegas, looking for a missing person." She answered.
"You shouldn't be alone." Veronica rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not." She said with a smile.
"You hungry?" He wanted to know. "My dad's fixing dinner, and there's every possibility it could kill me." She stared. "That was a joke."
"I could eat." She told him.
"Let's go."